The illustration above shows the typology for an Uptown alley, which would be oriented toward pedestrian and bicycle traffic. They may also have amenities like outdoor dining areas and street furniture, along with light fixtures and public art that can be enjoyed by pedestrians.
(Graphic submitted)
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Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to find a solution.
With the help of Ohio State graduate students, Plain City officials are one step closer to making the village safer and easier to travel through, whether that’s by walking, biking or driving.
Council unanimously approved a multimodal transportation plan prepared by graduate students in Ohio State’s City and Regional Planning program. Council member Tyler Harriman was absent.
Village Administrator Haley Lupton said the input from the students made tangible change even before the transportation plan was approved.
She explained that one of the students’ recommendations was to create a pedestrian crosswalk on Main Street near Maple Street, across from the pedestrian alley.
Lupton has been working with Management Analyst Justin Dreier at grant opportunities and they feel the project could qualify for a Community Development Block Grant next year.
“I just want to thank the students for taking a fresh look,” Lupton said. “You know, we’re Uptown everyday but a new look and a first or second visit provided something that we’re already able to work on.”
The Ohio State project team was led by Professor of City and Regional Planning Kimberly Burton and included students Aurora Albertone, Jake Buchanan, Rebecca Carr, Lauren Elliott, Kenneth Harvey, Paritosh Jambhale, Bhavana Koralagundi, Mac Lang, Micah Maani, Marie Meeks, Jane Peuser and Tara Smith.
The group of students attended a number of council meetings and work sessions to solicit feedback from officials and hosted a community-wide survey to gain insight from those who live or work in Plain City.
Using that feedback, the students spent a semester preparing a plan that will identify modifications to the village’s infrastructure that will accommodate multiple modes of travel while maintaining the identity of Plain City.
The plan was built on four goals: safety, connectivity, multimodality and identity.
Along with community input, the plan built upon the 2018 Plain City Comprehensive Plan, 2020 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, 2023 Uptown Plan and the 2023 Safe Routes to School Plan.
In assessing the infrastructure needs of the village, the students noted that, particularly north of Route 161 and along U.S. 42 is “limited at best.”
Especially given the amount of growth in the area, the plan indicates that sprawl in the village could add more gaps to Plain City’s sidewalk network.
As far as roadways, the plan encourages the addition of street furniture along smaller roads to encourage pedestrian travel on those routes as opposed to roads with heavier traffic.
The plan also notes that more designated crossing areas and traffic calming measures can improve pedestrian safety and help prevent accidents.
Students also created a detailed matrix of suggested design parameters for streets and alleys based on how they are used, called “typologies.”
For instance, the Uptown typology includes core streets in the residential and commercial areas Uptown such as Main Street. The suggested design indicates narrow travel lanes with buffered bike lanes.
The students classified roads throughout the village as one of the following: Uptown, dense residential, suburban residential, community, commercial, industrial and commuter.
Alleys are also broken into either Uptown alley, Uptown freight alley or dense residential alley.
Based on their analysis, the plan includes 25 recommendations and an implementation plan, including a timeline, for each.
Of those, eight recommendations are considered high priority and critical to achieving the goal laid out in the transportation plan.
They include: filling the gaps in the sidewalk network; repaving the sidewalks within the village right of way; implementing alley typologies; constructing new trails that offer residents safe routes across the village; constructing new trails that connect to the greater regional trail network; adding crosswalks at recommended locations; converting the intersection of Plain City-Georgesville Road and Cemetery Pike with Converse Huff Road to a four-way control and constructing “gateways” at entrances to the Uptown.
Each high priority project relates to infrastructure, mobility or safety, while those farther down the list center on land use, urban design and economic development.
Each recommendation is also assigned an estimated time frame, ranging from less than two years to longer than five years, as well as an estimated cost.
The plan notes that “one of the first steps is to identify grant funding resources at the federal and state level for the implementation of trails and other infrastructure projects.”
The students said they are hopeful the plan will act as a guide to achieve the overarching vision for the village’s transportation infrastructure throughout the future.
“Through collaboration, innovation and a clear commitment to a central vision, Plain City can pave the way for multimodal transportation infrastructure that serves residents and visitors alike, fostering a thriving and connected community for generations to come,” the plan states.
Council members shared their gratitude for the students’ work and said they feel the plan will help Plain City achieve its connectivity goals.
“It well exceeded my expectations,” said Council President Michael Terry.